Tears in a Bottle

It's been far longer than I realised since my last update. I've been a little distracted working on another story and time just slipped by. To make up for my delay, I give you an extra long chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter 10

With Erik's lawyer in constant conversation with both Erik and Jean's lawyer, any hope for the investors for a quick resolution was quickly quashed. The two lawyers made very little headway in the situation. Erik was convinced that Jean had used his company and stole from hundreds of investors for his own benefit while Jean had convinced his lawyer that Erik was trying to destroy any chance he had of a successful future.

Everyday, Erik struggled with the best way to proceed. He still hoped that Jean would do the right and honourable thing. Christine was convinced that he should pay the money back. Like himself, Erik's lawyer refused to accept defeat and was determined to make Jean accept responsibility. But as time wore on and the press became increasingly negative, Erik found himself leaning towards Christine's resolution and paying everyone back from his own money.

Despite all of Erik's torment, no one knew what he was thinking or planning to do. Doing his best to keep his shame to himself, Erik decided against making an announcement that Lechmere Enterprises had been duped and legal council was currently being undertaken. How could such a successful, respected company make such a stupid decision that saw thousands of people robbed of their hard earned money? Perhaps if he had, his investors might have been a little more understanding.

They were all focused on their own world of struggle. Each day they struggled to get to the next. No one thought that Erik might be tormented by the decision he had to make. They were all convinced they were the only ones who were suffering.

Knowing that Christine loved him softened that side of Erik that had always despised society. He no longer hated the entire human race. Christine showed him that he could be loved and he was learning to love in return. Although he would always be looked upon as something hideous and horrible, knowing that Christine loved him gave him faith to believe that not everyone would despise him.

With their new understanding, Erik was sure that Arabella did not despise him either. At the beginning, he had been worried that what Christine had accused him of was right; he had been trying to buy his niece's affection just as he had bought Christine numerous times. But he knew that was not true. He just wanted to see Arabella happy. Both he and Arabella went out of their way to see that the other never lacked for anything. So when Arabella asked to have her classmates over after he had mentioned it once in passing, he had quickly said yes just so he could see the delighted look on her face.

He was determined that she makes friends and be happy at school after the saga with Sofi and thought the suggestion of a pool party – where she would be in her own territory – was perfect. Knowing how much trouble she was having making friends, Erik didn't want to about the reasons why a group of kids was so eager to join Arabella for a day of swimming at her uncle's chateau. Their reasoning didn't matter anything to him if it meant Arabella was happy. He only hoped that by the end of the day his niece would have a better friend than Sofi.

With this in mind, Erik was able to face the mass of children who descended on his chateau. Normally he would have been shaking with fear – or rage – at the thought of a dozen strangers invading his home – not that they were allowed in his chateau. That had been the only condition he had placed on the party: no one was allowed inside; they were all restricted to the pool house. But today a very different Erik faced the group of strangers. This Erik was convinced that he could be loved and that clearly not everyone in the world hated him and he should not hate the world either. He was also determined not to lose control and show Christine a side of himself that he hoped she would never see.

For almost two hours, Arabella and a group of her school friends swam in the pool, throwing balls to one another and playing games. Erik watched from the safety of his bedroom as Christine sat on the edge of the pool, supervising the children and basking in the sunlight. If he did not suspect that they were only there to try and see what her masked uncle looked like – and the sun didn't hurt his eyes – he would have joined them outside. A party was another thing he had never experienced as a child.

When Cook brought out plates of food for the children and they all scrambled out of the pool to devour it, Erik wandered downstairs and stood in the shade of the building to watch. It was not long before Christine joined him, a plate of food in her hand.

"How is she?" he asked.

"She's having a wonderful time. The other children seem to be enjoying themselves."

Erik nodded. He did not care about the other children; he only wanted Arabella to be happy. She was his main concern. "And they're being nice to her?"

"Very nice."

"Has anyone made a comment about her parents or me?"

"They're too excited about the pool to remember the rumours. I think a few have wondered where you are but it's nothing that Arabella and I can't handle."

"And has she shown an attachment to anyone in particular?" Erik asked, pleased with the responses Christine was giving.

Christine paused with a mini quiche halfway to her mouth and looked up at him thoughtfully. "You had this all planned, didn't you? You wanted her to invite everyone over so that she could befriend them away from school and Sofi's rumours." When Erik nodded unrepentantly, Christine continued, "I don't know if she realises how lucky she is to have an uncle like you, Erik." She smiled happily and kissed his jaw before gratefully stepping closer to the warmth of his body and pulled her towel more firmly around her body. The breeze that whipped through chilled her damp legs.

Surprised by her comment and the way Christine unexpectedly tucked herself against his body, Erik lapsed into silence but he could not help resting his hand protectively on Christine's back. Even if Christine had discovered his plans, it was unlikely that Arabella would ever realise that he had encouraged the party so that she could find herself some new friends. He wanted Arabella to be happy at school as well as at home. And he knew the best way to do that was to ensure she had friends. She needed someone to look after her at school and keep her from becoming that lonely child she used to be.

"You're exaggerating again, Christine," he accused softly, almost playfully.

"No, I'm not. I would never lie about something this serious." Christine set her plate down on the railing and shifted so she was standing in front of Erik, her hands resting lightly on his chest. Her head tipped back and smiled up at him, silently begging him to kiss her.

Erik looked down at Christine's sweetly upturned face, wanting to feel her lips again. He looked quickly over her head to see that the children were too busy eating Cook's food to even notice that he had left his room. His fingers wrapped around her hips and he took a step towards her.

"Uncle Erik!" Arabella cried as she and two other girls went racing towards the spot where Erik and Christine were hidden.

Erik and Christine guiltily pulled away from each other, both hoping that Arabella had not noticed how close they had been standing together. Christine tried to hide her disappointment behind a bright smile while Erik struggled to hide his frustration.

"Are you enjoying yourself, Arabella?" Erik asked as he hid his hands behind his back, so Arabella would not see their shaking and so he would not be tempted to touch Christine in front of his niece.

"Yes! This is the best party ever! Uncle Erik, can Pippa and Miranda stay the night?"

"Tonight?" Erik choked out, completely taken aback by her request. He stared at her, not sure how to answer.

"Not tonight, Bella," Christine said softly, seeing the trouble Erik was having accepting Arabella's question. He liked his privacy and she knew that a few hours notice was not enough time for him to adjust to the idea of having two of Arabella's friends sleep over in his chateau. Since they had been about to kiss, she was sure anything relating to his niece had been the last thing on Erik's mind. "Pippa and Miranda will need to go home and get their clothes and we haven't even asked their parents. Why don't we arrange it for next weekend?"

"Can we, Uncle Erik? Please?" Arabella looked at Erik with round eyes filled with hope.

"Yes," Erik responded when Christine nudged him in the ribs. "The girls can come over next weekend."

"Thank you!" Arabella cried with absolute joy as she threw her arms around Erik before running back to the party.

"You've made her so happy," Christine observed when they were alone again as she wrapped her arm around Erik's waist.

That was all he wanted. If Arabella was happy, he was happy. If all he had to do to ensure she was happy was to allow her to invite her friends over, then he could endure it. As Christine had said, it was also Arabella's house. With Christine's love and her arm wrapped around his body, Erik felt so ecstatic and like the luckiest man. Never before had he been so happy. As long as he had Christine and Arabella with him, he would never lack for anything.

After all the children had gone, too excited to sit down quietly, Arabella had begged Christine for a singing lesson. So, for the first time, Erik sat in on the lesson with Christine and Arabella. Christine could sense every movement he made, every intake of breath when she sang and every nod of approval when she corrected Arabella's technique. That hour of being able to sense him, but unable to touch him had been torture. The air was so filled with tension she was surprised that Arabella was unaware of it.

After sending the girl away for her shower, Erik slid onto the stool beside Christine, kissed each of her fingers and then produced several sheets of music, which he set out before her.

"Play this with me before you go to see Mrs Valerius," he begged her softly before he kissed the back of each hand.

Christine took one look at the music and her eyes widened with uncertainty at the complexity of it. "It's for four hands."

Erik nodded. Still holding her hands in his, he smoothed his thumb over the back of her hands. "I wrote it with the intention that we would be able to play together. I have dreamed of sitting beside you and playing with you, Christine. Please, play it with me before you leave to see Mrs Valerius."

Faced with such an eloquent speech, Christine could only nod.

In moments, the couple was playing the duet, their hands moving together in perfect harmony to bring to life the song that Erik had imagined for them both. Although she had never seen the music before and was unfamiliar with the notes – unlike Erik – Christine found her hands gliding over the keys in an instinctive way. Without having to say a word, Erik gently guided her.

It was as if she had known this song and Erik's style of music her entire life. She was able to fit in with him, move with him without a thought. At the end of the song, Christine was almost convinced she had played it numerous other times with Erik. It was as if they had been made to play together, to be beside each other.

A few hours later after she had returned from visiting Mama Valerius, Christine pushed open the door to Erik's bedroom and stood in the doorway, gazing at him.

"What are you doing here, Christine?" Erik asked softly.

She said nothing as she stepped into his arms and kissed him. "I couldn't sleep; that song has been running through my mind all night. I wanted to play that song with you again."

Erik's face lit with delight as he entwined his fingers around Christine's hand and led her to the music room. Once there, he released his grip on Christine's hand to adjust the music, which he had left on the stand. That job done, he seated himself on the stool beside Christine only to have her kiss him once more.

Reluctantly pulling away from his lips, she set her hands on the keys, indicating she was ready to play. For almost two hours they played together in perfect harmony, their hands never accidentally bumping each other. Their thighs and arms, however, pressed firmly and intimately.

When her wrists finally began to ache, Christine shifted slightly so she could face Erik. "Will you play my song for me again?"

Without giving any indication that he had heard her, Erik began to play the love song he had written for her. More certain of her response this time, his gaze never left hers, his pale blue eyes glowing with his love for her in the dim light.

The song over, Christine kissed him again with all the love and desire she possessed. Her hands roved over his chest and shoulders as she deepened the kiss.

"Christine," Erik gasped, his voice husky as he pulled his hands away from her waist, unable to remember how they got to be there in the first place. "You should go up to your room. Alone." He untangled her arms from around his neck and set them primly in her lap.

Beyond words, Christine just shook her head.

"Christine-"

"I'm not scared, Erik. I love you. I love you and I want to show you how deeply I love you." Before he could protest again, she kissed him until she felt him surrender.

With a sigh that was filled with defeat and desire, Erik abruptly stood up, taking Christine with him as he knocked over the stool. He pressed a final kiss to her lips before he pulled her quickly up the stairs to his bedroom.

With the curtains still closed and the light glowing softly, Erik watched as Christine stripped down until she was completely naked. Every time she tried to reach for his shirt, he would grasp her hands and kiss her tenderly, effectively distracting her from her need to see him naked.

Once he had taken in every curve, every mole and every dimple, he led her to the bed, saw her settled among the pile of pillows and turned out the light, plunging the room into darkness. Removing his clothes as he made his way back to the bed, Erik joined Christine on the bed and kissed her.

"Hello, Mama V!"

Taken aback by the warmth of Christine's greeting, the older woman stood still, enduring the hug. Finally recalling herself, she wrapped her arms around Christine before pulling her inside. She glanced at her daughter, undisguised curiosity in her eyes.

"Sit down, Christine and I'll make you some tea. Then you can tell me what it is that has you so happy."

"No, Mama V, I'll get the tea. You sit down," Christine corrected, heading into the kitchen to put on the kettle. She moved through the cluttered kitchen, unfazed by the large dried flower arrangement on the fireplace, the canister of utensils and the cups hanging over the sink.

Christine bustled around the kitchen, humming happily to herself as she prepared the tea. A few minutes later she returned to the living room where Mama Valerius was sitting with two teacups and a plate of biscuits.

"All right, Christine, what is it?" Mama Valerius asked, agog with curiosity.

"I'm in love!"

That had been the last thing Mama Valerius had been expecting. She had thought her happiness had something to do with Christine's money being returned to her. "With whom? The only man I have heard you talk about is Erik."

Christine nodded. "Erik and I are in love."

Trying to find the right thing to say, Mama Valerius took her time selecting a biscuit. "And you're clearly happy."

"Very happy."

Mama Valerius nodded, quietly delighted that Christine had made the right choice about Erik. She knew her daughter adored being out in the sun, but she also knew how fleeting love was and the need to hold on to it tightly. Erik would provide more than enough sunlight for her daughter. Again she tried to think of something she could say but she didn't need to worry. Christine was talking enough for them both.

"Erik isn't at all how I first thought him. He's still a little domineering – that's just who he is – but there's a softer, gentler, almost vulnerable, side to him. Do you know what he did for me, Mama V? He composed a song!" Christine answered before Mama Valerius could answer. "He wrote a song just for me and he wrote another so we could play the piano together. Every night we sit side by side at the piano and play. I want you to meet him, Mama V."

"I want to meet him too, Christine. If the man has made you this happy, I'm sure I will love him almost as much as you do. Your father would be so happy for you. I don't doubt he would give Erik his blessing."

At the mention of her father, tears slid down Christine's cheeks. He had been gone for eighteen years and yet not a day went by when Christine did not think of him. What most saddened her was the realisation that her father would never meet Erik and he would not be there to walk her down the aisle if she and Erik married.

Dabbing away her tears, she turned to Mama Valerius. "Erik's planning something for my birthday next week – he won't say what – and suggested that you come to the chateau. You will come, won't you?"

Mama Valerius nodded as if there had never been any doubt in her mind that she would attend her daughter's birthday.

A few hours later, Christine climbed into Erik's bed, shedding her clothes as she went. Burrowing so close to his side that there was not any space between them, she rested her head on his shoulder and began to cry softly. Her tears soaked through to his shirt and Erik wrapped his arm around her shoulders to try to still their shaking.

"What is the matter?" he asked softly, wiping tears from her face. He had not been in bed long; he had been restlessly pacing the garden, waiting for her to come home and only headed up to his bed when he heard her car pull up. "Did you have a fight with Mrs Valerius?"

Christine shook her head against Erik's shoulder and gave a small sniff. "I didn't fight with Mama V. She's excited to meet you."

"Then why are you crying?" Erik pressed, shifting so he could look at her face, his eyes able to make out the smallest details of her expression since he was so used to the dim lighting.

"I realised that Papa will never meet you. He will never know the man I love and he won't be there to walk me down the aisle." She let out a soft, sad chuckle. "My father will never meet my husband – whoever he is."

Erik was shocked at Christine's words. He knew she had been close to her father who died when Christine was only six, but he had not realised that after so much time she still mourned him. There were times he noticed she would stare out the window, looking pensive. He had always assumed that at these times she was daydreaming or imagining new ways to torture him. It never occurred to him that she was thinking of her father and the life they would have had together.

"He'll be there with you," Erik said. "The dead never leave us."

Heartened at his words, Christine sat up and looked at Erik. In the dark the only feature that she could make out was his white mask, which despite the dark seemed to glow. She knew he was staring at her, looking at her with a certainty that comforted her.

"Do you really believe that?" she asked, hopeful for the first time in years.

Erik took his time answering her question. He considered himself a man of science and never thought it possible that after a body died, the soul could live on either in another person or that it could visit family and friends the person had known before he or she died. But he could never tell Christine of his theory; it would break her heart.

He cupped her face in his hands and tenderly kissed her. "For you, Christine, I want to."

"How is your lesson, Arabella?" Erik asked as he joined Christine and Arabella in the music room halfway through her singing lesson when she paused to take a sip of water.

"Great! I'm so excited to be singing my songs! I can't believe I got the part!"

Erik and Christine just smiled at each other. When she arrived home from school, Erik had wasted no time in telling Arabella about the call he received from the producer of the show she had auditioned for a few weeks ago. The little girl had been so excited that she insisted that she and Christine start practising her songs straight away.

"Do you mind if I join you for the rest of your lesson?" Erik asked, looking at both Christine and Arabella. He did not want to intrude if Christine thought his presence might distract Arabella.

Arabella nodded her head happily before returning to her usual place at the piano. "I want you to hear my songs!"

As Erik passed Christine on his way to a chair, he gently caressed her neck, careful to make sure Arabella couldn't see what he was doing.

The little girl still did not know that they were in love and sharing the same bed. And that was how they wanted it to stay. They did not want Arabella to worry about the effect this would have on her relationships with both adults, or to worry what would happen to her tutor if Erik and Christine broke up. Not that they saw that ever happening. They wanted to know precisely where they were going before they told Arabella.

That was why they were careful to keep their love for each other hidden. They tried never to touch each other while Arabella was around, although that was often impossible. They both made sure that she was never around when Christine left Erik's room. At the beginning, organising this had been a challenge.

They had tried sneaking Christine back to her room before the sun rose, but that felt too scandalous and neither of them liked dozing in a bed by themselves since they had quickly become accustomed to the other. Erik had let Christine go downstairs and wait for Arabella to wake and prepare her for school. But after one day of waiting almost an hour on his own, Erik dismissed that as an option. In the end, they both decided that the best thing to do would be to wait for Arabella to wake, then when Erik was sure she would be in the kitchen, Christine would join her. Once he was dressed, Erik would also quickly follow. It was not perfect, but it would work until they could think of another way. But until Christine was his wife they would always be sneaking around.

"What do you think, Uncle Erik? Will I be good enough?" Arabella asked when she had performed her songs for Erik.

"I think by the time the show is ready, you will be amazing!" Erik assured her with a smile.

"You'll both come and watch me, won't you?" Arabella asked as she looked uncertainly at Erik and Christine.

"Of course we will," Christine responded with a smile for Arabella and a warning look for Erik. She was already aware that he would be reluctant to venture out to the theatre but there was no way she would allow him to miss the opportunity of watching his niece perform. "We wouldn't miss it! Now, my little poppet, I think it's time you rested your voice. So, go and have a shower and when you come back, Cook will have dinner – a special dinner to celebrate your success – ready for you."

"What special dinner?" Erik asked softly once he and Christine were alone in the music room. He joined her on the piano stool and gathered up her hands in his.

"I spoke to Cook this afternoon and she's making something for Bella. I thought she deserved something special after getting that part."

Erik shook his head in wonder. Christine was becoming very familiar with the staff and was not against issuing orders if necessary. He had always imagined that his wife would deal with the cook and the housekeeper while he did the work. Apparently, that was how Christine expected things to be as well. Somehow, without either of them knowing it, she had fallen into a role of wife, mother and mistress of the chateau. She seemed so content with her new lot in life that he didn't have the heart to tell her what he had done. He would just wait and pray she never found out…he did not want anything to ruin their happiness or the evening he was planning for her birthday in just over a week's time.

"Did I do something wrong?" Christine asked uncertainly when she saw that look in Erik's eyes.

"No. You're perfect," he promised earnestly, making Christine smile. "Everything will be perfect." He cupped her face in his hands and tenderly kissed her.

With Arabella at school, Erik and Christine often spent an hour or so playing the piano. Over the last few weeks Erik had composed another fourhanded duet that he and Christine could play together. He had been desperate to hear her voice entwined with his and had composed this song so that they could play and sing together. He still worked most of the day, but always made sure he took a break so he could spend some time with Christine.

Today, they were hidden beneath the soft autumn sun in an open field on Erik's property. They had been sleeping together for more than a month and still Erik made sure the lights were off so she could not see him. She was aware that he would often open the curtains at night so that the moon could light the room but he never opened them until she was asleep and he always made sure they were closed before dawn. It was clear that he was trying to trying to stop her from seeing something. With a disgruntled sigh, Christine wished he would believe her when she said she loved him and the way he looked didn't matter.

He was still unconvinced that she loved him enough not to worry about the scars and marks on his body. She had felt them when she ran her hands over his chest and arms but had never seen them. He had seen her naked numerous times and knew her body by heart. But she had never seen him. She was finding it rather frustrating and was having trouble hiding it. What more could she do to prove to him that she loved him despite the way he looked? Every day she worried about their relationship and the toll his self-consciousness and insecurities would take on it.

Pulling her attention back to the present, Christine looked at Erik who was lying peacefully on the rug, staring up at the clouds drift across the sky. Sensing Christine staring at him, Erik cupped her face in his hands before kissing her so tenderly that Christine had no choice but to respond. Her hands reached out to clutch the collar of his shirt. When he finally pulled away, he gazed into her eyes, his eyes full of love.

"Until you and Arabella came along I had never known what it was like to be part of a family," Erik began quietly, his thumb stroking her lips. "But now, even though you aren't my wife, and Arabella isn't my daughter, I feel that I finally belong. With the two of you, I have the family I've always wanted.

"I love you, Christine. I never want you to leave me. When you're with me, I feel whole, complete. I can forget everything I've been through just as long as you say you love me."

Faced with Erik's eloquence yet again, Christine could only nod as tears pooled in her eyes. "I love you, Erik; you know I do. No mater what happens, I'm never going to stop loving you."

Erik seemed to relax at her words as if he had been waiting for that reassurance. His hands still cupping her cheeks, Erik leant forwards to kiss her again with a softness that brought tears to her eyes.

Christine could have stayed kissing him forever. Reluctantly pulling away, Christine gave Erik a smile even as pushed her hair from her face. Her annoyance was put into perspective and almost forgotten in face of his love for her.

Her diamond earrings glistening in the soft light of the dining room, Christine glowed with happiness as she took in the scene around her. It was her birthday and she was surrounded by the people she loved: Erik, Arabella, Mama Valerius and Lola. The day had been one surprise after another, but to have Mama Valerius and Lola at the table with her, enjoying the feast that Cook had prepared made Christine the happiest she had been in a while.

Erik had drawn the heavy velvet curtains of the dining room and covered the sideboard and buffet table with candles and roses. The crystal glasses reflected the light, splintering it and casting rainbows throughout the room. Fake diamonds – well, Christine hoped they were fake – were scattered carelessly across the table.

He had searched for the perfect inspiration for Christine's birthday and he had found it in a scandal that had occurred centuries earlier. Apparently Marie-Antoinette had been involved in the purchase of an expensive diamond necklace and a massive scandal had broken out. She had never intended to buy it – in fact she had begged her husband not to buy the necklace for her. When the jewellers did not receive their payment they approached the queen. It had all been done to discredit her. So, the Affair of the Diamond Necklace as it later became known was what inspired him. So all day long he had used diamonds, crystals, ice and light to make Christine's day unforgettable.

And her father was there, too. Christine was not sure how she knew, but she knew he was standing between Erik and herself, assessing the man she loved. She was convinced her father saw when Erik surreptitiously gave her hand a loving squeeze under the table – away from Arabella's little eyes. It was this loving gesture that she knew her father would have seen and instantly given Erik his approval.

Mama Valerius approved of Erik. She found the mask a little frightening, but the older woman smiled at Erik so kindly and took such an interest in his work and the role Christine played in his house and life that the couple instantly relaxed, knowing everything would be alright. She saw the way that Erik and Christine tried to hide their love – particularly from Arabella – but her wise eyes saw the loving looks and secret touches they shared.

"Those earrings are divine!" Lola gasped during a lull in conversation. She eyed the diamonds that dripped from Christine's ears.

"Erik gave them to me," Christine answered happily, glancing lovingly at Erik in time to see him playfully pull a rosebud from behind Arabella's ear – much to the little girl's delight.

"Are they real diamonds?" Lola continued.

"Of course they are!" Erik responded before he could stop himself.

Christine smiled at him, amused by the way he quickly affirmed that they were real. As if he would buy her anything but the best. She knew how long he had waited to give her the Marie-Antoinette earrings and she was delighted to be wearing them. Only they would know, but it showed how far they had come in their relationship that he was able to give them to her and she was able to accept them.

While Lola and Erik discussed her new life at the piano bar, Christine's thoughts drifted back to her day. It had started like any other, Erik and Christine had seen Arabella off to school as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Then once they were alone in the chateau, Erik had taken Christine to their arbour and had just sat with her in his arms. After spending hours outdoors, Erik had taken her into the dining room where Cook had arranged lunch for them. Lunch was a spectacular arrangement of soup, sandwiches and brioche to dip in traditional hot chocolate. When Christine asked him what he was doing about his work, Erik responded simply with, "I've cleared my calendar today."

With lunch eaten, Erik further surprised Christine by taking her to the music room where he sat her down on the stool beside him and began to play a song he had composed just for her birthday in the traditional baroque style of the eighteenth century. At Christine's insistence, he had sung that first song he had written for her and allowed her to play the duet with him. If it made her happy, Erik would give Christine anything.

"Happy birthday, my love," Erik whispered when he had finished playing Christine's song.

Smiling in delight, Christine buried her hands in his black hair neck and kissed him. "This is one birthday I won't forget! It's perfect!"

As if those words were the cue Erik had been waiting for, he pushed her hair behind her ear and magically made Mari-Antoinette's diamond earrings appear. With a little smile, he dropped them in Christine's hands.

"You'll accept them, won't you?" he asked as he hid his hands so she wouldn't be able to see their shaking.

"Of course I will. I'll wear them to dinner tonight. And it will be perfect!" With another smile, Christine grabbed Erik's hand and pulled him from the stool and up to his room.

Reaching across the small space of the table that separated them, Erik touched Christine's earring, untwisting it. His knuckles gently grazed her neck. If they had not known before, Mama Valerius and Lola now knew that Erik and Christine were in love. The only person who was unaware of it all was Arabella who was too busy applying herself to her dessert of a gateau surrounded by macarons to notice.